Scotch Snaps - The Big Picture

GERMAN USERS: this video can also be seen in Germany if you visit www.tagg.org/ptavmat.htm#Germany

Social and cultural history in the microcosm of a two-note rhythm. What is a "Scotch snap"? How does it relate to language, class and ethnicity? Is it just Scottish, or is it also Irish, Welsh, English, West African, Hungarian, "Celtic", "black", "white" or what? It's used by Henry Purcell, Béla Bartók, Mahalia Jackson, Woody Guthrie, Stevie Wonder, Ry Cooder, James Brown and Buck Owens. You'll also find it in Strathspeys, traditional English ballads, Appalachian fiddling, string band music, spirituals, white gospel, black gospel, even in West African time lines, but you won't hear it in mariachi, mbaqanga or MPB, nor in music of South or Central Europe. It has to do with English language rhythm but then why did the snap disappear from English music during the 18th century to re-emerge globally in popular musics of the late 20th century? Why did Dvořák think that "Negro" and "Scottish" musics were similar? How come some music of English origin is labelled "Celtic" when England is seen by fans of "Celticity" as the devil incarnate? This instructive but entertaining video offers an alternative to ethnic fixations in popular music history and genre labelling. For more info, see "Source Listing", "Voiceover Text" and "Discussion" in connection with "Scotch Snap" by clicking "Audiovisual" at |tagg.org|.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• musicology
• music
• social
• history
• linguistics
• language
• rhythm
• Scotland
• England
• Ireland
• Hungary
• USA
• West
• Africa
• ethnicity
• class
• critique
• bagpipe
• fiddle
• cowboy
• Appalachian
• Handel
• Eck
• Roberson
• Purcell
• Beggar's
• Opera
• rural
• indenture
• gospel
• spiritual
• Dvorak
• Dvořák
• genres
• apartheid
• segregation
• categories
• twang
• Northamptonshire
• labour
• emigration
• immigration
• slavery
• servitude
• timeline
• dotting

[DTesta9]

Wow! The hour and 14 minutes I spent watching this video was extremely entertaining and valuable. I've started focusing my fiddle playing on Scottish music, and decided to search YouTube for "Scots snap". The search didn't return much of interest. I'm glad I thought to search for the variation "Scotch snap". Thanks SO much for putting this together and for sharing it here. I found much more than I was looking for, and my understanding of the music I've been playing has been changed forever.

[Rulemer]

I'm stunned, what a fantastic effort you've put into this! Incredibly educational and fascinating, I can't thank you enough for all the info :)

[dwaynedibbly]

boring

[yousteveyou]

Brilliant! I can only imagine how long this took, and yet I would very much like similar analyses of other music. Incredibly useful for teaching.

[EgHs2723]

A superb analysis of 'scotch-snaps' from one of the leading scholars in popular music research, Phil Tagg. This clip is going to be an invaluable aid for the teaching of rhythm, meter, rhyme, spoken and sung English. Above all, it provides a fascinating account of cultural identity and social class through a musicological critique that brims with countless relevant details – an awesome insight into polymetricity.

Stan Hawkins

[blue55cat]

This is the best exposition of the rhythmic and linguistic roots of American swing / country / folk / gospel / Afro-Cuban clave I have heard.

In addition, the social background to the emigration of rural populations from the UK is very moving. Shirley Collins' version of 'Van Dieman's Land' from No Roses adds a powerful, emotional weight to the argument.

This film should be in the curriculum of every music college in the UK and USA.

Paul Scott

[petecorey]

I really enjoyed this

[LerikCuritiba]

Just finished watching it.

I am amazed at how much information can be collected when you start researching something as simple as a rythmic snap! Thanks for sharing this.

[LerikCuritiba]

"Found these words in a book of tango lyrics." Hahah, amazing. Regards from Brazil, congratulations for this incredible video!